Five New Judges Join Supreme Court After Sanctioned Strength Raised to 34+CJI
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Article summary
The Union government increased the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India), following which five new judges were elevated to the apex court under Chief Justice Surya Kant. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 governs the court's numerical strength, and Parliament has periodically amended it to address rising pendency — the last increase was from 30 to 33 in 2019. The latest expansion is significant because over 80,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court, and a larger bench strength enables faster constitution of larger benches and reduces delays. The elevations are also designed to improve regional representation across India's diverse geography and enhance gender diversity on the Bench, both longstanding concerns in judicial appointments. For UPSC, this development intersects constitutional law, judicial independence, the collegium system, and access to justice.
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Sample questions — answers revealed after test
Q1. Under Article 124(1) of the Constitution, what is the default maximum number of Judges (other than the Chief Justice of India) in the Supreme Court, absent any Parliamentary legislation prescribing a larger number?
Q2. Parliament wishes to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from its current level to a higher number. Which of the following correctly describes the constitutional and legal mechanism required to accomplish this?
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the appointment of Supreme Court Judges and the collegium system in India: 1. Article 124(2) provides that Supreme Court Judges are appointed by the President after consultation with such Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts as the President may deem necessary. 2. The Supreme Court in the Second Judges Case (1993) held that 'consultation' in Article 124(2) means 'concurrence', effectively transferring primacy in appointments from the executive to the collegium. 3. The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 on the ground that it violated the basic structure of the Constitution by undermining judicial independence. 4. Under the collegium system as currently operative, the Union Government retains an absolute veto over collegium recommendations and may indefinitely withhold appointment of any recommended candidate. Which of the statements given above are correct?